Five years ago the earth shook in the Italian city, destroyed houses, churches and livelihoods. At the same time, a glass work of art is traveling there from Germany – the story of a small miracle
Review. An evening with friends in May 2014. Everyone is sitting around the table, the patio door is wide open, the air is spring-warm, the conversations revolve around the upcoming vacation. About experiences, impressions, memories, about wanderlust and longing goals, about a piece of freedom in everyday life. For some time now, the couples have met regularly once a month and talked about trips, showing photos, diaries and videos. Britta and Paul were recently seen gliding along the legendary Highway 1 in a Cadillac, four weeks earlier Thomas and Birgit sailed around Greek islands and made a stop on Mykonos.
Today is Jochen’s turn. It’s about his hiking tour in the Italian Abruzzo and in the Gran Sasso National Park, northeast of Rome. He describes the breathtaking nature in the wild high mountains with the mule tracks, gorges and lonely mountain villages, he describes the rivers and waterfalls, the crystal-clear bubbling springs and the mysterious hermitages he passed, his encounter with shepherds, their dogs and flocks of sheep on remote alpine meadows. Once he even came across a wolf in the twilight – it just stood there between the ancient chestnut trees, motionless, and looked at him calmly.
Finally, Jochen talks about the Lago di Campotosto reservoir in the national park and that one of the most beautiful places in Italy lies in the middle of its center. This whole area around the city with the terracotta-colored houses and the moss-green shutters is bewitching: Amatrice.
Before the quake
Amatrice, located on the summit of Monte Gorzano, 2000 meters high, the highest mountain in the Lazio region, was mentioned as early as the eleventh century. Its incomparable location on a rocky plateau, its closed historical town center with city wall and six gates, including Porta Carbonara, made Amatrice widely known and famous. Those interested in art were fascinated by the old churches with the exposed frescoes, the wealth of the many art treasures and the monastery of San Francesco; usually the visit of Amatrice was an essential part of a trip to Rome. The regional delicacies were also popular: the sheep’s cheese with the spicy herbal aroma of the mountain pastures and of course the spaghetti all ‘Amatriciana, a valued, albeit a bit greasy, specialty.
The city has always been considered an earthquake zone and is highly endangered. The chronicles of the Middle Ages record tremendous tremors, with the tremors of 1639, 1672, 1703 and 1737 causing the greatest destruction.
Leap in time, two years later in Germany, a hot weekend in August 2016. The birds suddenly fall silent, not a single leaf stirs in the breeze. Then clouds come up, a faint rumble of thunder approaching and the first drops that fall. Katrin is looking forward to cooling off. She trades in antiques, rarities and works of art and a few days ago had a magnificent antique reverse glass painting with a motif showing the Archangel Michael up for auction on Ebay. Shortly afterwards, a dottore from Italy asked: he had fallen in love with the angel, he informed her, and was determined to adopt him. The painting is intended for the Basilica of San Francesco in his hometown, as a gift of thanks to his patron saint, St. Francis.
In her offer, Katrin had pointed out that pickup was the only option because she couldn’t imagine how she could pack and ship the fragile, extremely fragile large glass work of art. She therefore suggested that the buyer drop by her on his next visit to Germany and receive the painting in person. But he refuses. “No, please send it to me.” He had already transferred the purchase price, so Katrin has no choice but to design a suitable packaging strategy to protect the wafer-thin glass from breaking. At the hardware store she only gets a pitiful shake of the head when she explains her logistical problem and asks for two thin wooden panels to be cut into which, like a sandwich, she wants to press and stabilize the glass image. “Just by looking at it,” said one, “the thing breaks into a thousand individual parts.” Finally, however, she leaves the shop with the desired plywood, bubble wrap and other protective materials. And after a sweaty three hours, she can send the finished package. The destination is “Amatrice”, and Katrin immediately remembers the evening when friend Jochen raved about the Italian city.
The quake
On the day after next, it is August 26, 2016, reports of a massive earthquake in central Italy, magnitude six, with hundreds of deaths, countless buried people and injuries. There is talk of chaotic conditions, of devastation and destruction. Reporters land by helicopter, all roads are impassable, railroad tracks are torn out and bent. The epicenter of the earthquake: the city of Amatrice. She was razed to the ground. Almost 300 people died and 213 historically significant buildings were destroyed. Only two tall towers on a gravel plain are the only remains and watch over rubble and rubble. Katrin’s heart almost stops. Your buyer lives in Amatrice, and the Archangel Michael, spellbound on delicate glass, is on his way there.
amatrice
The city is just under 140 kilometers northeast of Rome. Until the earthquake it had a well-preserved medieval center with city walls from the 13th century and six city gates.
On August 24, 2016 , magnitude six tremors woke people up. Around 300 people die, most of them in Amatrice. Hundreds are injured and entire places in central Italy are destroyed by the quake. The medieval tower – the Torre Civica – remains standing for the time being. The bell falls to the ground, the tower clock stops at 3:38 a.m. and becomes a memorial for the catastrophe.
On January 18, 2017 , another series of earthquakes with Amatrice as the epicenter occurred with a magnitude of up to 5.7. The remnant of the Torre Civica also collapses.
In September 2020 , five defendants will be sentenced to terms of between five and nine years in prison. The court in Rieti finds the men guilty of complicity in the collapse of two social buildings in the first instance; the collapse of the building killed 18 people and injured three more.
Today, Tuesday, the city commemorates the earthquake victims with festivities, including a Holy Mass and a night watch during which the names of the victims are read out. osk
Three days later she received a message: The buyer’s house on a hill is still standing and the package with the picture behind the glass has arrived on time. Everything is undamaged, flawless, and the angel’s beauty will make the horrors of the past few days forget for a moment. On this occasion he mentions that the mighty bell from the Torre Civica, one of the medieval towers in Amatrice, fell like a bullet to the ground, that the tower clock stopped at 3.38 a.m. and is now a memorial for the catastrophe . Katrin can hardly believe it: the parcel with the angel was delivered exactly at 3:38 a.m., according to the proof of sending.
She writes back to her buyer that the transport into the middle of a natural disaster, which leaves human misery, grief and damage worth millions, appears to her as an incomprehensible miracle. She speaks of “fate”, “divine destiny” and that the “guardian angel” probably had his hands in the game.
After the quake
How do you tell the story of a dying city? 2016, in September. According to the Technical Relief Organization, there are still chances of finding survivors, and the feverish search for them continues. After nine days of darkness, the dog “Romeo” sees the light of day again. Its owner is overjoyed. Three days earlier, a cat was rescued from the rubble.
In 2017 the FR published a report by its author Regina Kerner from Amatrice, headed with the words: “Rubble obstruct the future”. She tells of people who still live in primitive caravans and containers, although aid organizations are taking care of them and they have since had visits from celebrities, Pope Francis, Prince Charles, high-ranking politicians, who all express their dismay and deep concern and promise, stand up for the earthquake victims.
Journalist Kirstin Hausen also visits the place and in her report for Deutschlandfunk reports sensitively and touchingly about the situation of a village community that has fallen apart like its houses. The author, who lives alternately in Italy and Switzerland, writes of ruins and shattered dreams, of still traumatized, homeless people with or without hope, of speculation and corruption and a heavy bureaucracy on the part of the government and the authorities.
She finds refugees in the coastal town of San Benedetto 100 kilometers away in waiting position and those who stayed, such as the owner of the popular restaurant “La Fattoria”, whose house, badly damaged, is still standing and whose two dogs have survived.
She finds people in containers, donated by the local diocese, and others who have made a makeshift roof over their heads and are waiting for the promised prefabricated houses. And finally the mayor Sergio Pirozzi, who has grown courage out of his desperation and who tries to dry the many tears.
In 2020, a memorial ceremony and a vigil will take place at the location of the event – of course under Corona conditions, while the reconstruction continues to be slow. At the same time, a virtual exhibition about the missing Amatrice will be opened in the Roman Bibliotheca Hertziana. In impressive images of memory, it shows the history of the place, how lively it once was, and its decline.
The insistent voices of geologists and seismologists are increasing, calling for better prevention to prevent a future tragedy like the one in Amatrice. The population had to be made aware of the right behavior with such a natural disaster, the predictions had to be more precise, and above all earthquake-proof buildings had to be built and frivolous building permits had to come to an end. The experts attribute the fact that so many buildings were destroyed in Amatrice not least to the building sins in the past and the partially dilapidated substance of the residential buildings, which were beautiful to look at from the outside, but their foundations were chipped and threatened with decay.
One year later, in 2021: Colorful wildflowers are growing between the ruins of the destroyed mountain villages, and goats and sheep graze on the meadows as they always did. One of the most beautiful cities in Italy, Amatrice, has died. Instead of the old town, visitors, tourists and earthquake pilgrims can expect a great void. All churches have been destroyed, services and funerals have to take place outside. Those who still live here keep their visions of a future amatrice like a precious treasure.
In addition to other hospitable places, the “La Fattoria” bistro is open again and offers pasta and pizza. The “Festival of the Spaghetti all ‘Amatriciana” invites you from August 27th to 29th. A young tree has grown out of one of the rubble mountains – a promise and at the same time a sign of hope that new life can blossom out of ruins. And maybe a ray of sunshine is shining through the delicate glass with the image of the Archangel Michael.
